The Hermès Plaid Suit: The Best of Both Worlds

The Hermès Plaid Suit: The Best of Both Worlds

For all the eureka! moments in textile design lately that have made cloths lighter, finer, and smoother than ever, there is a distinct segment of the population that likes tailoring with some character to it. Flannel. Velvet. Or, in the case of this Hermès suit from designer Véronique Nichanian, a soft–handed cotton weave with a rich brown–black–and–oxblood–plaid pattern. It's got the texture associated with more–casual clothing, yet its peak lapels and sharp silhouette are the very definition of contemporary formal tailoring. It's the ultimate formal/casual suit — or is it casual/formal? — and it distills the sense of duality that is driving men's wear today. We don't want to choose between formal and casual, country and city, or past and future, and with tailoring like this, we don't have to.

The Gucci Carryall: Baggage You Won't Mind Carrying

The Gucci Carryall: Baggage You Won't Mind Carrying

Since the 1950s, Gucci has cultivated one of the world's most distinctive design signatures: a red– and–green three–stripe panel, found on everything from its horse–bit loafers to a couple of station wagon models back in the '70s. (Seriously. Google it.) But today, any company with a recognizable insignia finds itself in something of a bind — after a decade spent broadcasting their brand affiliations through artfully placed logos, many customers now prefer their luxury goods to be vaguely anonymous looking. Like any good designer, Gucci creative director Frida Giannini is adapting to the moment, and this new carryall, its supple calfskin shell marked with a washed–out, three–stripe nylon panel across the middle, whispers Gucci instead of screaming it. With its quietly luxurious design, its beefy, shoulder–ready straps, and its roomy interior, it could very well be the season's best weekend bag, the very thing for that road trip you've been meaning to take. Now go.